Chiropractic
Chiropractic Consultation and Examinations
Going to the Chiropractor could be a new experience for you. If you have been getting pain, it’s time to do something about it.
Upon meeting with the Chiropractor, you’ll discuss your concerns and expectations as well as have the chance to ask any questions you may have. We will perform a physical examination and potentially take a few x-rays to help find out the cause of your concerns. Your Chiropractor will spend time analysing and reviewing the results of your consultation and examination. At your 2nd visit or Report of Findings, your Chiropractor will explain your results, confirm whether we can help you and make specific recommendations. These recommendations may take the form of a schedule of specific Chiropractic adjustments, as well as exercises and postural work. Your recommendations are specifically designed for you based on your goals and our objective findings during your testing.
Chiropractic care works best when our clients take an active role in their health and healing. It is essential that we address the bad habits of posture and lifestyle that contributed to your current concerns, as well as the exercise to assist in a longer- term correction. Our Chiropractors address the underlying issues which lead to symptoms such as neck and back discomfort. These symptoms can be caused by varying forms of nerve irritation, and as a result, the spine may tighten, and muscles may tense. When this occurs in the neck, the discomfort and stress can result in headaches, and likewise for other spinal issues causing pain, stiffness, discomfort in that region. All of these issues are addressed by our Chiropractors here in Inverell. Our university education and years of clinical experience have honed our skills in specific manual procedures known as ‘chiropractic adjustments.’ We use the adjustments to treat neck and back pain by addressing the source of the inflammation.
Chiropractic adjustments aid in the restoration of spinal alignment and function.
In simple terms, Chiro-practic is simply CHIRO (Greek for hand) + PRACTIC (method). The practice of using the hands to adjust the spine. Chiropractic is an overall way of looking at the human body. It’s based on the idea that the body is self-sustaining and self-healing. The body is in essence completely controlled by the brain through its connection via the spinal cord and the vast networks of nerves that make up the body. When this system is not functioning at its peak, the overall performance of the human body is lacking. While supplementation and nutrition can contribute to part of the bigger picture, drugs and prescriptions are often viewed as only addressing the symptoms rather than the cause. While it’s often perceived that the chiropractor is solely here to treat back and neck pain, this is simply a small piece of what the profession really is capable of helping. Chiropractors not only treat common problems such as sciatica and joint pain, but are more often now called on to contribute to overall health and well-being.
Techniques Used
Gonstead
The Gonstead System of Chiropractic, represents arguably the “gold standard” in “hands on” spinal adjusting due to the lengthy training and specificity of analysis. The specific adjustments help return the spinal joints to their correct position and function resulting in proper nerve function and improved health.
Thompson
Thompson Terminal Point technique is a system of analysis and a special table that reduces the amount of energy needed to adjust your spine. A special weighing system is used to apply the corrective adjustments.
Activator
Pregnant patients and older patients with bone-weakening conditions like arthritis and osteoporosis particularly find comfort with the gentle nature of an Activator adjustment. Don’t like the popping or cracking that you may have heard? but still want results through precision and accuracy. The Activator Method uses a small, hand-held instrument called the Activator Adjusting Instrument to deliver a gentle adjustment to the spine to correct the source of the problem.
Physiotherapy
Rachel is an experienced physiotherapist who has a special interest in women’s health, musculoskeletal conditions and rehabilitation of all kinds.
Rachel will provide a comprehensive assessment and treatment program that takes into account your current capacity, lifestyle, any sporting activities and how you want to live your life from now onwards.
What to expect
At the initial treatment session, Rachel will take a detailed account of the problem, followed by a physical examination in order to make a clinical diagnosis.
Each physiotherapy treatment and injury recovery plan is specifically tailored to your individual needs – we explain to you the underlying cause of your condition so that you can take control of your own recovery program.
We pride ourselves in offering our patients the latest technology. To create your tailored exercise programs we use a brand new app called PhysiApp. PhysiApp lets you complete your prescribed exercise program by following crystal-clear, narrated exercise videos. PhysiApp is completely free to download from the App store and Google Play store or can be accessed via your browser. Built-in reminders help you to stay on track towards a better you!
Dry Needling
What is it?
Dry Needling is a treatment technique using a sterile fine needle (acupuncture needle). And is used in conjunction with Physiotherapy. Following injury or pain, muscles tend to develop trigger points – usually consisting of a small band of muscle which feels knotty. It is sometimes painful when touched, but the pain is often referred to another area of the body. Our physiotherapists use super-fine dry needles to help alleviate the trigger point and relax the muscle tissue.
What's the Difference between Dry Needling and Acupuncture?
Dry needling involves insertion of needles into myofascial trigger points to deactivate and help resolve trigger points whereas acupuncture involves insertion in needles into specific energy meridians in order to achieve a desired result.
What can it help?
Dry needling can help many problems such as painful trigger points in muscles, acute swelling after injury, as well as muscle spasm and tightness.
Dry needling can also help stimulate healing in the injured tissues and headache referral from tight muscles.
How does it work?
Dry needling works on the pain-gate theory – where only one pain message can be recieved by the brain from one area at only on time. Normal slow dull aching messages form an injury can be ínterecepted’ by the needle message.
It helps reduce localised swelling, improves natural anti-inflammatory response and tissue re-modelling, as well as improves the alignment of connective tissue and scar tissue breakdown. With trigger points, needling into the trigger point will reduce the spasm and relieve not only the local pain but also the referred pain.
Workcover
Physiotherapists and Chiropractors at Gwydir Chiropractic & Physiotherapy are qualified in assessing and treating WorkCover patients and work-related injuries. We are WorkCover NSW approved, meaning our allied health professionals are trained to treat injured workers.
Process
- Present with WorkCover referral letter from your doctor prescribing physiotherapy/chiropractic treatment as well as your workers compensation claim number (which needs to be confirmed with your workers compensation insurance company).
- Treatment with assigned allied health professional.
- Allied health professional updates case manager on recommendations.
- Our office will bill your insurer directly, meaning there are no out of pocket expenses to you.
For most patients seeking help after an injury this is the first time calling your insurance, getting a referral and working out what to do. If you need any assistance at any stage please feel welcome to call our team.
Pre-employment Health Assessments
Our health practitioners have accreditation to deliver full pre-employment and functional assessments for employers and recruitment agencies.
We are equipped and trained to do the full capacity of pre employment testing that may include, but isn’t limited to; Audiometry, Spirometry, Visual Acuity, Colour Deficiency, Physical Assessment and Urine Drug screen.
We provide employers and recruitment agencies with reliable and fast pre-employment assessments that can be tailored to your organisation and job roles.
Pre-employment assessments identify whether a candidate can safely do the job, and provide a baseline health assessment for a worker before they enter a role. Research shows that screened workers are more likely to have a lower incidence of injury, lower absence rate due to injury, and lower medical costs resulting from injury.
